Emulsifiers are used in the food industry (and non-food industries) to form oil-in-water emulsions for the dispersion of hydrophobic components, such as nutrients (e.g., omega-3 fatty acids), flavors, regular lipids, and the like. Emulsifiers govern emulsion stability—a key factor in food quality—thereby protecting against coalescence (e.g., aggregation and creaming) and oxidation (which leads to rancidity and hazardous compounds).
Among the different types of emulsifiers, biopolymer-based emulsifiers typically exhibit a stronger capacity for emulsion stabilization than small molecule-based surfactants, forming a thick interfacial layer that allows for more effective steric repelling among oil droplets. If the biopolymer is charged, static repelling is also stronger for biopolymer-based interfacial layers. In addition, the migrations of oxidative compounds (e.g., oxygen, metal ions, and radicals) are greatly reduced due to the thick layer.
Gum arabic and starch octenyl succinate (starch-OSA) are two biopolymer-based emulsifiers that have been used in prior efforts to increase emulsion stability.